In 1891, Gustave Doré published a multi-volume set of his Biblical engravings. What would a collection of engravings depicting the many stories from the Bible be without The Nativity?
Doré was a French artist. He was a printmaker, sculptor and illustrator. But, he was most well-known for his wood engravings like this lovely Christmas Engraving. When I first saw this piece, I thought it was sketched in pencil. The light emanating from Jesus seems like something that would be impossible to do by carving the design into wood and printing it on paper. The man was truly a master of his craft.
In this Christmas engraving, we have Mary showing the baby Jesus to a small crowd of shepherds and others who have come to celebrate his birth. Two lambs and an ox are included. Behind Mary is a food trough with hay hanging down from the top. You can even see pieces of straw scattered around the floor. It’s truly a beautiful piece to honor the birth of Christ.
This image is copyright free and in the public domain anywhere that extends copyrights 70 years after death or at least 120 years after publication when the original illustrator is unknown.
